Join Ben's quest for true love, filled with unexpected twists and the search for a modern-day Romeo and Juliet romance. Will he find the love story he dreams of, or is true love more complex than he ever imagined?
The next morning, I awoke at around 5:30 to the sound of Raelynn whimpering in her sleep. Glancing at her crib, she wasn't there. Instead, I turned to see Ben holding her, feeding her a bottle of milk while sitting on a chair. A sigh of relief escaped me, and I approached Ben, gently touching his arm.
"I'm sorry for yesterday," I said softly, but Ben remained silent. "Ben... I apologize. I overreacted."
"There's no need to apologize. Your words came from insecurities. Instead, you should apologize to yourself for yelling about how you feel when another woman is around me," he said in a soft but stern tone. "I don't know what kind of example you're setting for Juni, but I'm sure she understood everything. Kids are smarter than you think," he added, then fell silent.
I was appalled by everything he just said. "Your suggestion to apologize to myself dismisses my emotions and belittles my concerns. The comment about Juni feels condescending, as if you think I lack awareness. I may not be the perfect mother, but I know I don't lack awareness, it's you. You're the one who can't tell when a woman is hitting on you and you don't do anything to stop it. So in other words, go fuck yourself before you come after me "lacking awareness." I snapped at him and grabbed my silk robe then went downstairs to make myself some tea.
I sighed and checked my phone to see today's schedule - no meetings or conferences booked. Smirking softly, an idea formed. After having my tea, I washed the dishes from last night and began making breakfast for the kids – breakfast burritos with eggs, bacon, Cajun-style potato grits, and topped with cheese.
An hour later, I finished just in time as the kids came downstairs. Ben had Juni and Raelynn in his arms, setting them up for breakfast. I noticed the absence of Ben's usual morning kiss, and so did Sera, Cy, and Violet. Sam and Max were too busy eating to notice. Feeling their eyes on me, I looked up and caught Sera and Cy whispering to each other.
"What are you kiddos talking about?" I asked with a smile.
"Nothing," Sera replied, smiling. Violet glanced between them and me, sensing there was more to the story.
As we all had breakfast, I quickly went upstairs to get ready to drop off the kids with Ben.
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I came downstairs in this outfit, rocking my quick 30-minute makeup and hair routine. Ben looked surprised.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"I'm your new employee," I teased.
"Going to work like that?" he said.
"Dressed like what? Professionally? Office style? Fill in the blank, Ben. I dare you," I grinned.
"I, uh, don't know what to say," he admitted, checking me out.
In the car ride to drop off the kids, Ben reached for my hand, trying to connect despite our earlier tension. I hesitated but eventually let him hold it, feeling the warmth. At red lights, he stole glances, maybe hoping for a positive reaction. Despite our unresolved issues, Ben made small gestures like adjusting the radio or sharing a smile, a quiet effort to bridge the gap between us.
